Birds in a Cage
by Vrawr
Summary: Unlike most others, they didn't need to talk to understand each other. Thresh/Foxface
1. I

**A/N: **Well, this is undoubtedly a little different than most of my other stories. (: I've wanted to write Hunger Games stories for awhile, but everytime I tried, they ended up being complete crap. Hopefully this one'll turn out a little better. Foxface and Thresh have always been two of my favorite characters, and there aren't nearly enough stories for them. And don't worry, for all those happy ending lovers, this story is most likely going to have an AU ending.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

_He had always been a quiet person._

**E**ver since the first moment he saw her on that screen, he felt something churning inside of him. In a way, it felt like something he had experienced a million times before: hunger. Except, unlike how it normally felt, it was much stronger; much more powerful. It confused him, to say the least. It felt like his insides were churning; like his chest was going to explode; like there were a million moths—or were they _butterflies?—_flying around in his stomach; like… like someone had just slapped him straight across the face. But he liked it.

He hit the replay button once again, staring into her eyes. They were a dark, sage green; a color he had seen several times before in the trees in District 11. But, unlike the trees, the emotion being expressed wasn't freedom; it was pain; fear; _imprisonment. _She felt like she was stuck in a prison; stuck in a place where she would never be able to escape. He frowned, clenching his fists tightly by his side. He knew exactly how she felt.

It felt like he was going to die. And he probably was.

Slowly, he reached out to touch the screen, brushing his fingers over her forehead. There was a scar there, though it was barely noticeable from the camera angle they had on her. He couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten it. He had over a hundred scars, and he could barely even remember how he got half of them. Working in District 11, with axes, hammers, saws, and rough tree branches, was a little dangerous. Well, no, not just a little. Many people had died in District 11 from doing just their job. Thankfully, he wasn't one of them. But his father was. He shook his head, scattering the thoughts of that man from his mind. He was a terrible father, anyways.

When he died, Thresh laughed. He laughed and laughed, until he saw his little sister; until he saw the pain and fear in her eyes; the worry. She thought that they were going to die; she thought that her brother had gone crazy, and that he wouldn't be able to take care of his family. She cried in his arms, and that made him stop his chortling. He held her tightly; he comforted her in the best way he could, which wasn't too well. He told her that it would all be okay. And it was, until he got reaped for the 74th Hunger Games.

* * *

Their parade outfits were just like how they had been for every other District 11 tribute the years before. They were stupid, stereotypical clothing that made him slightly mad. Were all Capitol people so _ignorant, to dress them in overalls and a plaid shirts? He stared down at the outfit in disdain. While he may have looked like a giant scarecrow, at least the little girl, Rue, looked slightly cute. She'd hopefully get a few sponsors._

He sighed, stepping on to the chariot. It shook when he moved, which seemed to scare Rue. He offered a tight smile at the girl, before reaching out a hand to help her up. She smiled innocently up at him. "T-thank you, Thresh," He simply nodded, his arms now tense by his sides. As much as he wanted to talk to her; help her, he knew that he couldn't. If he did, then he would most certainly develop a bond with the tiny girl. If he actually ended up winning, he didn't want to have her death on his conscious.

Just as their chariot lurched forward, he caught sight of _her. _She was dressed in a silver, sequin dress, with a metal headdress surrounding her head. Her neck looked so stiff, he couldn't stop the wince of pity that took over his face. She was staring directly in front of her; not waving, not gripping the handles of the chariot. She seemed so… fearless. Suddenly, she turned around and stared directly into his eyes.

Just like the days before, he was filled with something akin to hunger when he saw her. She looked so innocent, yet so deadly. She didn't flinch when she saw him, like most others did. She simply stared into his eyes impassively. For some reason, that bothered him. He shuffled from foot to foot, not even noticing the crowd cheering his name. He didn't even notice the flames behind him, of the District 12 tributes; he was too busy looking at _her,_ the little District 5 girl.

Though her outfit was one of the most disgustingly ugly things he had ever seen, he still couldn't help but find her attractive. Her hair—a brilliant, bright red color—was something he only saw in one place: the sky during sunset. No matter how tired he was at the end of the day, he always watched it. He felt closer to Heaven when he did; closer to a place where he might be able to experience true happiness.

She was unlike any other girl had had seen before. Unlike most other girls in his District, her skin was that of a porcelain doll; beautifully pale. Her eyes were like looking into a mirror for him. Everything he saw in her orbs, were things he was also feeling: worry, panic, fear, _imprisonment, _but also acceptance. They both knew that they were going to die, and they didn't try to fight it.

* * *

Training was relatively uneventful. The Careers stayed mainly in the weapon section, just like he did. He didn't look at them, though. He wouldn't let them intimidate him. He was strong, unlike that stupid little blonde boy; unlike his tiny partner; unlike the two idiots from One. He was strong, both physically and mentally, unlike them. Truthfully, however, he knew that when it came down to it, he wouldn't stand much of a chance against all of them.

When lunch time rolled around, he noticed _her_ sitting all by herself. She only had an apple and a bottle of water in front of her. She was so tiny; she probably didn't need much more than that to fill her up. He only hesitated a moment before walking over to her and sitting down. She stared at him, startled. They didn't say anything to one another, but the silence between them wasn't awkward at all.

It was probably the most comfortable he had been since arriving in the Capitol.

On day two of training, the blonde boy asked him if he wanted to be allies; if he wanted to be a _Career. _Thresh almost laughed. Almost, but not quite. He narrowed his eyes at the boy, glaring at him with all of his heart. His answer was immediate; his hatred for them was obvious.

"No." He stated simply, turning back to the weapons in front of him. But the blonde didn't leave. He stood there, staring at Thresh with scorn burning in his brilliant, blue eyes. "You'll regret that, _11." _And then he was gone, leaving the giant alone once again. He couldn't contain the mental sigh of relief he let out. He wasn't scared of the boy; of course he wasn't! But the Careers were still the worst group of people to be on the wrong side of, especially if they had sponsors.

And they would definitely have sponsors. They always did.

Later that day, he found himself walking over to _her. _She was still at the plant identification area, where she had been the day before. He stood there, waiting her to finish. Her fingers flew across the screen with deadly precision; with deadly accuracy. All of them were right. Even as the _74 out of 74 Correct_ flashed on the screen, she didn't seem at all proud of herself; if anything, her frown deepened.

When she turned in his direction, she sucked in a breath. They stared at each other for several moments, searching for something in each other's eyes. He wasn't breathing. He was afraid that if he did, she would disappear and it would all just end up being a dream. After a few seconds, she bit her bottom lip and looked away. He let out a breath and turned to the other screen. He wasn't nearly as good as she was.

"That's Nightlock," She muttered. "It's poisonous." He turned to her, slightly surprised. She stared at his screen for a few seconds, before her eyes fluttered over to him. "They look like blueberries, but they could kill you with just a single drop of their juice." He furrowed his brows, instantly changing his answer from 'non-poisonous' to 'poisonous'. "Thank you," He muttered, and she smiled. "No problem. It would be a little embarrassing to die by eating poisonous berries, after all." He returned her grin, though he was almost certain his was a little larger.

The next day, it was his turn to help her. He showed her basic knife moves; how to throw it, how to hold it properly, and how to use it without chopping off one of her fingers. At first, she was hesitant. She didn't want to learn how to use a weapon; she didn't want to _kill. _When he told her that she could use it for other reasons too, however—like killing animals for food—she nodded her head.

She gripped the handle of the blade, bending her wrist slightly. She let the knife go, smiling when it hit the leg of the dummy. While it may not have been a perfect throw, it definitely was a lot better than completely missing the mark. The Careers weren't paying attention to her, and for that, she was more than grateful. The last thing she needed was to be on their hit list.

"Good job," Thresh praised, grinning at the girl in front of him. "Thanks," She whispered, smiling. Her voice was as low as it always was. They never talked much when they were around each other, but neither of them minded. Neither of them had ever been very loud; very talkative, and it was a bit of a relief to find someone else like that.

Unlike most others, the giant and the fox-like girl didn't need to speak to understand one another.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm either going to do the other chapters like this (alternating between POV's), or in only one of there's. Leave me a review and tell me which you'd like me to do. (:


	2. II

_She had always been a strange child._

**W**hen he saw her that evening, his heart nearly stopped. She looked so pretty; so… so… so _beautiful._ She was wearing a blue dress—aqua, he mused—that seemed to fit her perfectly. It only went down to her mid-thigh, but unlike the District 1 girl—Gleam, or something—it wasn't at all tacky. The dress fit her body perfectly. It wasn't too tight, or too loose. Though Thresh doubted her stylist's judgment during the parade, his faith in them was completely restored.

She was undoubtedly the most attractive girl in the whole room.

The feeling in his stomach was a lot stronger than it had been before, but he didn't complain. In a way, it felt kind of nice. When she looked at him though, it felt like a shot of electricity shooting up his spine, shocking him into stillness. His eyes stayed on her for the rest of the night, only leaving when her name was called. He nearly had a heart attack.

He hadn't even known her name until then!

"District 5, Finch Adair, come on up here!" Caesar Flickerman called her up, a large smile plastered on his face. His dyed, blue hair began to fall into his eyes, but he didn't bother to brush it away. Slowly, Finch stepped on to the stage, ignoring the booming in her chest, and the shouts coming from below her. She had never been a very nervous girl, but she was in front of all of Panem now. She had a pretty good reason to be nervous.

"Hello, Caesar," She breathed, folding her legs gently together. He practically gushed at her manners. "Oh, Finch, darling! You look absolutely _stunning!_ Let me tell you, blue is your color, _too_!" Finch let out a short, airy laugh. The audience was practically doubling over, however. "Thank you, Caesar." He grinned. "Of course, dear."

"You're the only tribute whose score was the same as their District," Caesar smiled, referring to her '5' training score. "Was that your plan all along?" Finch giggled, shaking her head. "No," She said, rewetting her lips. "I just... did the best that I could. It's merely a coincidence that I got a five." Her host smiled, before slowly looking around. He leaned forward, staring into her eyes intensely. "So, tell me, darling... do you think you can win?" She smiled.

"I do." Caesar seemed taken aback, not quite used to Districts outside of 1, 2, and 4 being so confident. "Anything got you worried?" For a moment, Finch hesitated. "I'd really like to not have to kill anyone." The blue-haired man smiled, resting back against his chair. "That's gonna be tough," She nodded, but didn't seem at all worried. "Killing is sort of a large part of the Games, isn't it?" The corners of her lips pulled up. "I'll figure out a way to get over it."

Just as the last word left her mouth, the bell sounded. Caesar grasped her hand gently in his own, shaking it like he did all of the other tributes. "Good luck, District 5 tribute, Finch Adair!" The crowd cheered for her; shouting her name with excitement; with hope that she would win, or at least make it long enough to be considered impressive.

She hoped the same.

Eleven tributes later, Thresh was licking his lips in anticipation. It was going to be his turn soon, and it would have been a lie to say he was looking forward to it. He hated being in crowds; being around so many people; even being _watched_ by people. In just a few moments, he was going to be watched by millions of people. Millions. His hands were beginning to sweat.

She was still there, watching him with her head tilted gently to the side. It confused her slightly, watching him shake like a leaf. He always seemed to brave; so fearless. When the Careers glared at him, he acted as if they didn't even exist. When Cato, or something, tried to start a fight with Thresh over his score, he simply raised an eyebrow. Death didn't scare him, but being the center of attention apparently did. She almost smiled.

"District 11, Thresh Brune, come on up here!" Sucking in a shaky breath, he put on his mask, and walked out. Almost instantly, the entire room filled with applause; with screams and shouts of his name. Caesar ushered him to the chair beside him, grasping his hand when he sat down.

"Nice to meet you, Thresh," He smiled, hoping for the same in return. However, he was let down. "Hello," The giant said smoothly, glancing over the audience with impassive eyes. Though his heart was racing faster than it ever had before, he couldn't let them know that. He had to act tough. No, he corrected himself; he had to _be_ tough, not just pretend.

"Your score was very impressive!" Caesar smiled. "A 10 is practically unheard of, yet you're one of three to get one this year! How do you feel about that?" He glanced over to the blue-haired man. "… It was to be expected," Was all he said, perfectly playing the mysterious role his mentors had told him to.

Caesar suddenly grinned wickedly. "So I'm sure such a dashing young man such as yourself must have a girl back home." The host looked to the crowd. "Am I right, folks?" They instantly erupted in cheers, yet some of the girls looked slightly put off. In his mind, Thresh wanted to look to her; to _Finch._ But he didn't. He knew that that would have been the last thing she wanted, and the last thing_ he_ wanted to do was make her unhappy.

"No…" He shook his head. "… But there _is_ a girl I'm interested in." Unconsciously, his eyes slowly trailed to the girl backstage. Thankfully, she, as well as the cameras, seemed to miss it. Once he realized what he was doing, he snapped his eyes back over to Caesar. Caesar smiled knowingly, before shaking his head. "A girl from your District?"

Thresh smiled. "… No," As soon as the word left his lips, the bell rung. The blue-haired man and the audience aww'd, but Caesar was still grinning. When he grasped Thresh's hand, he whispered, "Good luck winning her over. She seems like a hard nut to crack." Thresh flushed, before nodding and walking off of the stage.

"District 11, everybody! Thresh Brune!"

* * *

Later that night, Finch found herself on the roof, breathing in the smog-filled, city air. She didn't mind it too much, though. She was used to it, where she came from. District 5 was all about power, after all. There was dozens of power plants _just _in the section where she and her family lived. It was a little scary sometimes, walking onto the street to see wires lying in the streets, still sparking with electricity, but she had gotten used to that, too.

She licked her lips, leaning her upper body over the roof. Her nose pressed against the force field, stopping her from falling off. She sighed, slowly leaning back. They gave knives to the tributes when they ate, but they wouldn't get rid of the damned barrier? It didn't make much sense to her.

Suddenly, the door to the roof slammed open. Kneeling down, Finch hid away from them. As soon as she realized who it was, however, she grinned and slid back up. "Thresh," She breathed his name, and he smiled back at her. "What're you doing up here, little girl?" He asked her, the nickname rolling off of his lips playfully. She bristled, almost like a cat, or… perhaps a fox. "I'm just as old as you, I'm sure." He chuckled. "I'm 18."

Finch sucked in a breath, her eyes narrowing slightly in pity. Just one more year, and he would have been completely free from the Reaping. Why in the world did they have to pick him _now? _Shaking her head, she scattered those thoughts from her head. Thresh was her… _acquaintance, _yes, but they couldn't be friends. Only one of them could win the Games, and she didn't want to make bonds with someone, especially if there was a chance that they were going to die.

But… what if they could just be allies for a little while? Not too long; just long enough for the numbers of the other tributes to drop down. If they waited until there were about… say, six or seven other people left, then there was no way that either one of them would have to kill the other.

"Thresh, let's be allies." She suddenly blurted, catching him slightly by surprise. He stared at her for a few moments, before slowly nodded. "… I thought you wanted to be by yourself." She licked her lips. "I did," She whispered. "But I've been thinking, and… and well, if we can just stay together until the numbers die down—" She smirked humorlessly. "Excuse the pun—then we can branch off from each other when there are only a few others left."

Thresh stared at her for a few moments longer, silently processing the pros and cons. Truthfully, however, he had already been meaning to ask her. She was definitely one of the best allies to have in the Games, and he knew that he had to snatch her up before anyone else did, though she probably wouldn't be asking anyone else. Finally, he grinned and nodded.

And that was how their relationship began.


End file.
